Factory prices in China can be a fraction of French wholesale, but France's rules on product safety, labelling and recycling are among the strictest in Europe, and 2026 brought new EU charges on low-value parcels.
This guide covers the 2026 rules for small businesses importing from China into France, air versus sea, and how soorce's delivery duties paid (DDP) takes customs off your hands.
What you can import
Most goods can be imported freely into France: clothing, bags, home and kitchen goods, furniture, decoration, packaging, tools, phone accessories, sports gear and spare parts.
What matters is that the product is legal to sell in the EU. Many categories must carry the CE marking and meet EU safety law before they reach a shelf in France.
- CE marking and an EU declaration of conformity are required for electrical goods, electronics, toys, machinery, personal protective equipment and radio devices.
- Under the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), most consumer products sold in the EU need a responsible economic operator based in the EU and clear traceability details on the product or packaging.
- France's anti-waste law (AGEC) brings extended producer responsibility (EPR, or REP in French): whoever first places packaging, textiles, electrical goods, furniture or toys on the French market must join an approved scheme and show its unique identifier (IDU). The Triman logo and sorting instructions are required on many products.
- Banned or restricted: counterfeit branded goods, weapons and replicas, some plants and animal products, and anything that fails EU chemical rules such as REACH. Check with your customs authority for regulated goods.
Customs duty and VAT in France in 2026
France applies the EU Common Customs Tariff. Duty depends on the product's HS code and is charged on the customs value (goods plus freight and insurance to the EU border). Many manufactured goods pay between 0% and 12%; clothing and shoes are often at the top of that range. Some Chinese products, such as certain steel goods, e-bikes or ceramic tableware, also carry EU anti-dumping duties.
Import VAT is charged at 20% on the customs value plus duty, with lower rates for a few categories. A French business registered for VAT declares that import VAT on its own VAT return (autoliquidation), so it costs no cash when the return is in order.
Low-value parcels: the old €150 duty exemption ended on 1 July 2026. Parcels worth €150 or less now pay a flat EU customs duty of €3 per item category, and since 1 November 2026 an EU handling fee of €2 per item has been added on top. France has suspended its own national small-parcel tax in favour of the EU charges. A wholesale order of a few hundred units is normally above €150, so the usual tariff rates apply.
- Importing in your own name requires an EORI number, issued free of charge by French customs (DGDDI).
- Customs needs a commercial invoice, a packing list and the air waybill or bill of lading, with the right HS code for each product.
- Under-declaring the value or using a wrong HS code can lead to penalties.
How DDP delivery removes the hassle
DDP means delivered duty paid. With soorce, the price you see at checkout already covers freight from China, French customs clearance, the import duty and the import VAT. Our logistics partner handles the declaration and delivers to your door: no customs broker to hire and no duty bill on arrival.
Before anything ships, we check the supplier and inspect the goods in China, so what goes through customs is what you ordered. DDP covers the import itself. Your obligations as the seller in France remain yours: CE conformity, a GPSR responsible person, French labelling and EPR registration for the products you put on the market.
Air or sea freight: which one pays off
Air freight is billed by the kilo with a volumetric rule (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000), so light but bulky goods are charged on their size. It arrives in days rather than weeks and suits samples, fast-moving fashion, restocks and goods with a high value per kilo, such as electronics accessories or jewellery.
Sea freight costs much less per kilo but takes several weeks door to door, and sea lines usually bill a minimum weight per shipment. It pays off for heavy or bulky goods with a low value per kilo: furniture, kitchenware, garden products, packaging and tools.
The box below shows what soorce charges today for door-to-door delivery to France, duties and VAT included, for a few sample weights.
Worked example: 300 cotton tote bags to Lyon
Say you order 300 printed cotton tote bags at $3.20 each, $960 of goods (above the 100-piece minimum). Packed in cartons they weigh around 45 kg. The table prices this order with today's door-to-door rates by air and by sea, with French duty and VAT already included in the shipping line.
Divide the delivered total by 300 to get your landed cost per bag, add the small EPR eco-contribution for textiles, and compare with French wholesale prices. Weight is confirmed once the goods are packed in China, so the final figure can move slightly.
cotton tote bags, 300 шт.: цена на сегодня
| Позиция | Авиа | Море |
|---|---|---|
| Товар | $960.00 | $960.00 |
| Доставка, пошлины и налоги (около 45 кг) | $319.62 | $82.35 |
| Итого с доставкой | $1,279.62 | $1,042.35 |
| За штуку с доставкой | $4.27 | $3.47 |
Доставка рассчитана по сегодняшним тарифам для этого веса. Стоимость товара — примерная цена; реальный итог вы увидите при оформлении заказа.
How to order on soorce, step by step
- Search or browse factory products and open a product page: it shows the price per piece, the minimum quantity and the delivered price to France.
- Add the quantities you need to your cart. Orders start from 100 pieces or $1,000; a smaller order can be sent as a request and our team will tell you if it can go ahead.
- At checkout, choose air or sea, enter your delivery address in France and pay securely online at checkout. Prices are in US dollars.
- We confirm the order with the factory, check the supplier and inspect the goods before they leave China. You get photos if anything looks wrong.
- The shipment is cleared through customs with duties and VAT paid and delivered to your door. You can follow every stage from your account.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Comparing a factory price with a French price without adding freight, duty and VAT. Always compare landed cost.
- Selling electrical goods or toys without CE documents and an EU responsible person.
- Forgetting French EPR registration and the Triman logo for packaging, textiles or electronics.
- Shipping light, bulky products by air and paying for volume instead of weight.
- Ordering branded or look-alike goods: French customs is very active against counterfeits and seizes them.
Частые вопросы
How much is customs duty from China to France?
It depends on the product's HS code under the EU Common Customs Tariff, often between 0% and 12%, plus 20% import VAT. With soorce's DDP delivery both are already included in the price you pay at checkout.
Does the €3 EU duty apply to my wholesale order?
The flat €3 duty and the €2 handling fee target parcels worth €150 or less. A wholesale order is usually above that value, so it pays the normal tariff rate for each product instead.
Do I need an EORI number to import into France?
You need an EORI number to clear goods in your own name. When you order through soorce, our logistics partner clears the shipment for you, though an EORI is still useful if you import other goods yourself.
How long does shipping from China to France take?
Air usually arrives within one to two weeks of leaving our warehouse in China, sea takes several weeks. The live transit window for each method is shown in the shipping box on this page and at checkout.
Do Chinese products need CE marking to be sold in France?
Yes, when they fall under CE rules (electronics, toys, machinery, protective equipment and more). Ask the factory for test reports before ordering and check with your customs authority for regulated goods.
What is the minimum order on soorce?
Orders start from 100 pieces or $1,000 of goods. Smaller orders can be sent as a request, and our team will confirm whether they can go ahead.
Источники
- French customs (Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects, DGDDI)
- European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union
- French Ministry of the Economy (economie.gouv.fr)
- ADEME (French agency for ecological transition), EPR schemes
Этот гид носит общий информационный характер и сверен с указанными выше официальными органами в ноябре 2026 года. Правила меняются, а некоторые товары регулируются особо: перед заказом таких товаров уточните требования в своей таможенной службе.